Skyrim Topic #7943: What "class" are you playing?

[Doc Theta Sigma]

I'm getting Skyrim tomorrow through a combination of surprise money and selling old Xbox 360 games I never touch. Getting it on PS3 and for the past two or three days I've been trying to decide what kind of "class" my character will be. So far I've narrowed it down to a spellsword/battle mage build or a sneaky bollocks stabby archery person. I've heard people say magic in Skyrim is woefully underpowered but at the same time everyone and the dog is rolling a sneaky bollocks stabby archer thief.

So how about it? What are you all playing as? (P.S. If anyone is playing a spellsword/battlemage and can give me some tips regarding perks it'd be much appreciated)

 

[BloatedGuppy]

Some thoughts on what I've tried:

ARCHERY - Actually quite powerful with the appropriate perks AND when combined with stealth. Probably the best/safest way to deal with a lot of tough and dangerous enemies. Requires a substantial perk investment though, so it will eat away at other areas. ESSENTIAL PERKS - Overdraw (3-5 ranks), Eagle Eye, Steady Hand, Power Shot, Quick Shot, Stealth (1 rank), Backstab, Deadly Aim

SWORD AND BOARD - Once you get your timing down with blocks/bashes this can be very powerful. One handers don't do a lot of damage, but they swing fast. Shields with the elemental protection perk are extremely useful against Dragons and Mages as well. Again, this is two trees, so it will eat a lot of perks. ESSENTIAL PERKS - Armsman (3-5 ranks), Fighting Stance, Savage Strike, Shield Wall (3-5 ranks), Deflect Arrows, Elemental Protection

TWO HANDED - Huge damage and good range. This is probably the most powerful/effective of the weapon routes, if you're looking for pure efficiency. Might have some issues with mages or anything that attacks at range, and you'll do a lot of stepping back/stepping in, which can feel a little "gamey". ESSENTIAL PERKS - Barbarian (3-5 ranks), Champion's Stance, Devastating Blow

 

[Jandau]

I finally settled on a Khajiit Fighter/Thief. His life goal is to craft the biggest, baddest sword ever. Therefore, he's focused on all three crafting skills to eventually make a blade that will make a deadric prince wet his pants in fear. When in the field, he approaches the enemy quietly and engages from range with his bow, often dropping multiple foes before he's spotted. Once the enemy notices him and closes to short range, he switches to his massive greatsword (which he crafted and upgraded himself) to slice the enemies into pieces. He shuns the cumbersome heavy armor and focuses on lighter gear for greater mobility, lower encumberance and more stylish appearance.

After I play through as my Khajiit, the next one on my list is a pure Mage, Altmer or Dunmer, followed by a Swoard&Board Heavy Armor human of some kind.

 

[userwhoquitthesite]

stealth murderer/mage/archer/lightarmored fighter

I am essentially playeing what i usually do. A bastard jack of all trades who can and does do anything to win.

I'm especially amused that my promotion to Arch-Mage had almost nothing to do with magical power, but rather my stealth murder ability

 

[godofallu]

I have 32 hours as a pure glass cannon destruction mage.

I have 20 hours as a 2 handed nord beserker.

I have 30 hours on a character who I named Sneaky-Spellsword.

The first two characters are extremely OP. Focusing one 1 type of damage has allowed me to rip through foes very quickly.

The last guy is all 3 at once, and because of that he can do nothing well, but everything weakly. If I want to fight on that character I basically must get a few kills with sneak attacks because 2 or more enemies on him in melee combat is usually death. If only I didn't waste all my levels on speechcraft, lockpicking, pickpocketing, stealth, alchemy, and block. Those skills do not help me fight at all.

Oh and fuck illusion magic. I wanted something for my offhand on my spellsword, and I thought hey illusion magic has invisibility and fear/fury this will be perfect. Well I have yet to find any stealth spells, and I out leveled the skill so all of my enemies resist. Complete waste of 50 levels.

 

[ShindoL Shill]

what's the one where you don't even?
sometimes i two-hander/heavy armour. other times i use a scimitar (strong runescape flashback right now...) and other times i use fire magic. other times i wear my DB kit and weild dual daggers.
and i spend a lot of my points in Smithing so i can upgrade my DB armour...

 

[Doc Theta Sigma]

I may try out a mage, see how much and like the playstyle and if I don't I'll probably fall back on a khajit assassin/thief. Killing dragons with the latter might be a bit of a pain though.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

If only I didn't waste all my levels on speechcraft, lockpicking, pickpocketing, stealth, alchemy, and block. Those skills do not help me fight at all.

Sirrah! I humbly disagree. Stealth and block can both be fiendish combat skills.

The rest of that stuff is rubbish, though, I agree. Lockpicking in particular, which is already too easy without any perks at all. I've got almost 200 picks now and never break more than a couple even on Master locks.

 

[White-Death]

Okay, been playing the game for a while.
I already have smithing at 100, and have almost complete dragon bone armor, on legendary level. I have two Anciant nordic swords, dual wield.
My class is a heavy armor wearing, dual blade wielding Dragon Hunter.

 

[godofallu]

If only I didn't waste all my levels on speechcraft, lockpicking, pickpocketing, stealth, alchemy, and block. Those skills do not help me fight at all.

Sirrah! I humbly disagree. Stealth and block can both be fiendish combat skills.

The rest of that stuff is rubbish, though, I agree. Lockpicking in particular, which is already too easy without any perks at all. I've got almost 200 picks now and never break more than a couple even on Master locks.

You are correct sir, stealth is indeed extremely helpful for combat. If it wasn't for stealth my character wouldn't be able to kill anything. Block however is useless to be since it's level 35 with 0 perks. Much better for me to use my offhand on something like a second dagger for crit attacks since "blocking" for me barely even stops any damage.

PS: I am sooo tempted to cheat and set my lockpick at 100 just so I won't gain levels over and over from leveling that skill accidentally.

 

[imnot]

Conjuration destruction and one handed, hooray for being boring!

 

[DaJoW]

Spellsword is a lot of fun, especially if the sword is of the Bound type, and I tend to have a Destruction spell in the other hand, occasionally swithing it for a Conjuration spell in harder fights. Magic damage may not be great, but it is a lot of fun and imo very satisfying, though not as satisfying as a sneaky archer. I've also found it a lot easier to hit a dragon in flight with spells than with arrows.

If you do go sneaky archer, there's a quest in Solitude that sends you off to a lighthouse that's a lot of fun. Haven't tried it with either my Spellsword, 2-handed warrior or pure caster yet but I can't imagine it's as much fun with any of those as it is with the archer.

 

[YonderTunic]

My main character is a Wood Elf marksman relying on taking enemies out before they get close, but with lacking melee abilities uses potions, poisons and enchants to still be a threat in a straight-up fight.

Recently made a Khajiit battle mage as well. I use the Bound Sword for melee and constantly rotate my left hand through destruction, restoration and conjuration. Really fun, but tends to get eaten alive by other mages. I'm using the stone that doubles my magicka regen, but I take double damage from magick attacks as well.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

You are correct sir, stealth is indeed extremely helpful for combat. If it wasn't for stealth my character wouldn't be able to kill anything. Block however is useless to be since it's level 35 with 0 perks. Much better for me to use my offhand on something like a second dagger for crit attacks since "blocking" for me barely even stops any damage.

PS: I am sooo tempted to cheat and set my lockpick at 100 just so I won't gain levels over and over from leveling that skill accidentally.

Well, fair enough...zero perk anything is a waste of time...but with only three perks in Block I'm getting very, very solid results from it. Elemental Protection alone is just a fantastic perk.

 

[Doc Theta Sigma]

Is Bound Sword very useful then? I've heard people recommending spellswords go for a bit of light armour and put perks into alteration, light armour, destruction and one handed. Would conjuration, destruction and just one handed be good? Or would I want to put a few points into light armour as well just to be a bit less squishy?

 

[ToMegaTherion]

I'm a warrior!
Of topic... I read that I can't become a vampire when I have been cured of Lycanthropy. Is this true?

 

[BloatedGuppy]

Hmmm, about

35% archer
30% dual blades
20% assassin
15% mage (enough to be able to lay down runes)

Distant weak targets get arrow'd in the head, close weak targets get a knife in the back, strong targets get rune'd and slashed with swords. Works good so far.

I have to admit I don't think much of dual wielding in Skyrim. The animations for it aren't so hot, and it leaves you horribly defenseless with a close range weapon. If you're going archer in any capacity that's going to be your go-to stealth option 99 times out of 100. When you're not in stealth, it's almost certainly because you've been jumped, or you're in a situation where stealth just isn't possible any more, and in those cases survivability is paramount. Dead men swing no axes.

 

[wolf thing]

pure mage, the only armour i ware are boots and gauntlets and there both enchanted. it can get a bit of a pain because one hit can take my health down by half but still its salot of fun

 

[Jimmy T. Malice]

I'm a battlemage. I use dual spells from a distance and then weigh in with swords, Flames and Flame Cloak.